This well-illustrated, highly detailed guide describes every aspect of the gladiatorial contest in ancient Rome, from the equipment used by the various classes of gladiator to the high place these sportsmen came to occupy in the popular culture of the time. Konstantin Nossov overturns the persistent myth that these fighters were treated as expendable refuse by their Roman handlers; instead, professional gladiators were athletes participating in the equivalent of a multi-billion dollar industry, run by entrepreneurs and highly regulated by the government. These athletes lived together, training year-round for events that occurred only seasonally—a life not much different from today's professional football player or boxer.